


Distance

by DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Amity realising Luz is a very cuddly friend, F/F, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Sleepovers, Sleepy Cuddles, The kind of fic you can read all cosy in a blanket with a hot chocolate, There's not really much plot its just cute sleepover bonding, Thunderstorms, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, azura book club? azura book club!, cheek kiss, first kiss (sort of)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon/pseuds/DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon
Summary: A surprise thunderstorm forces Luz and Amity to stay overnight at the Bonesborough Library, which gives Amity ample time to reflect on the lessening distance between her and her dear human friend.(In short; cute, silly sleepover softness.)
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 66
Kudos: 1031





	Distance

Luz didn’t have a concept of personal space. 

This was something Amity had been coming to terms with gradually as their friendship budded and grew. At first it was a little off putting- uncomfortable even; Amity wasn’t exactly acclimated to this level of intimacy. 

...And yet. 

“I filed for us to get our own clubroom, but Principal Bump said it could take a couple of weeks.” Amity sighed as the pair strolled down the bustling hallways of Hexside. “We’ll have to wait for a room to become available.” 

Her words didn’t seem to bother the human in the slightest. Luz flashed Amity a little grin. “Oh, that’s okay, I’m sure we can make do. There’s plenty of places we can hang out and read until then!” 

Luz’s optimism was contagious; Amity couldn’t help but let a small smile curl at her lips. “Hmm, I suppose.” 

“Maybe we can have our first few meetings at the Owl House! Or the park, if the weather is nice... Oh! Or your secret hide-” 

Amity almost dropped her books as her hand slapped itself on instinct over Luz’s mouth, muffling her instantly. Her eyes darted around, but thankfully everyone was preoccupied in their own conversations, or hurrying past on their ways to lunch to take much notice of the pair. Still Amity pushed Luz along gently, closer to the lockers and out of the way. 

“Funny thing about secret hideouts, Luz.” Amity whispered, her voice almost a hiss. “They’re supposed to be a _secret_.” 

Luz nodded in understanding, her eyes still wide, and Amity removed her hand slowly, almost remorseful for her sudden defensiveness. 

Luz didn’t appear to hold it against her though, relaxing back into her usual little smile as they continued walking. “So, can I meet you at the library tomorrow?” 

Amity’s eyebrow quirked in surprise. “Tomorrow? You want to hold a meeting so soon?” 

“Well, yeah! I want to be able to...” Luz trailed off, her cheerful demeanour faltering momentarily. She shook her head and smiled again, but now it felt slightly forced. “I just, think it’d be fun. I can show you my limited-edition trading cards from the first release of book two! I mean, unless you’re busy or something...” 

“No, no- I'm not busy. I... I’d really like that.” 

Relief danced through Luz’s eyes, a little spark reigniting behind them. But as she opened her mouth to speak, a familiar voice called out ahead of them. Willow and Gus stood waiting, grinning, and Amity watched as Luz beamed and jogged over to greet them with a quick group hug. 

Amity lingered behind. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to join in, rather she didn’t feel like she had earned it yet, the level of friendship that the trio shared. And she was okay with that. She was okay with keeping up a comfortable distance. Besides, it gave her a few precious seconds to process. 

Tomorrow... 

Honestly, the idea of having company at her private hideaway sent a spiral of butterflies loose in her stomach. Or perhaps it was just the idea of sharing that very personal space with Luz. Who was to be sure? 

*** 

Luz did end up bringing her limited-edition trading cards. And every book she had. _And_ a colourful, hastily handmade banner, which half trailed behind her as she ran up the library stairs to meet Amity. Luz stumbled on the last few steps, tripping at Amity’s feet, her belongings scattering everywhere. Clearly embarrassed, she fumbled to scoop everything messily back up into her arms as Amity kneeled immediately, hand hovering over Luz’s arm in concern. 

“Are you okay?” 

Luz chuckled, throwing Amity a little cheerful grin, her cheeks flushed. “Yeah! Yeah, sorry, I just got so excited to see you, for a moment I forgot how to walk!” 

Luz blurted out another laugh, this one far more awkward, as she almost dropped her books again. Amity felt her own cheeks prickle with heat as she smiled back, catching and securing the banner back into Luz’s arms before it could tumble away. Carefully, she helped Luz find her feet. 

“You certainly seem ready for our book club.” Amity teased lightly as they made their way through the vast hallways of the Bonesborough Library. It was a slow day from the looks of things, more so than usual for a weekend. There was a nervous thrum of anticipation in the air too- like patrons were eager to get in and out as quickly as possible. 

It put Amity on edge, but Luz seemed oblivious, too wrapped up in her own excitement, and as much as Amity hated to admit it, it was hard to focus on her surroundings when Luz was chatting away with such a cute, dorky smile on her face. 

“Alright, Luz.” Amity said, placing her hands on Luz’s arms. “This is kind of a big deal for me... you’re the _first_ person I trust to be here, okay?” 

Luz’s eyes softened, a look of humility on her face. She nodded gently. 

“...Alright.” Amity pulled the book-lever and it clicked, the bookcase rumbling as it crawled aside. No sooner did the room revel itself, than did Luz prance excitedly inside, twirling around to beam at Amity. Amity wasn’t entirely sure why Luz was so excited; she’d been here before, but the way she acted, it was as though she had never seen this place before. Her eyes shone with brilliant wonder. 

“It’s perfect.” Luz beamed, as Amity closed the entrance behind her. She wasn’t expecting Luz’s arms to suddenly curl around her own, the human girl bouncing on her heels, nose barely an inch from Amity’s. “This is going to be so much fun!” 

“U-Uh, yeah-” Amity stammered, her brain suddenly feeling like mush, unable to come up with any coherent form of response. Her eyes drifted to the middle of the room where Luz had dumped her belongings in a pile. She coughed nervously, trying to divert Luz’s attention. “So, you made a banner?” Her voice wobbled slightly as she spoke. 

“Oh yeah!” Luz’s arms shifted, and Amity felt her hand slip into her own as Luz pulled her enthusiastically over to her little pile of things. “I stayed up late making it! I know it’s not the best, but I worked hard on it...” Luz let go if Amity’s hand to splay out the banner carefully over the floorboards. 

It was a strange, thrown together collage, stitched and glued into place, clearly made from whatever Luz could find around the Owl House. Each letter was cut from scraps of fabric, though she had also glued and strung on beads, pins, and stickers for decoration. 

Luz had also clearly drawn with marker pens directly onto the fabric to varying degrees of quality; Azura, Hecate, and other characters from the books made appearances in the corners and around the letters. Some drawings were half obscured where Luz had changed her mind on the layout halfway through and stuck patches over the top. 

Large sections of the sign also appeared to be tie-dyed in pastel colours; where Luz had procured dye at such short notice, Amity didn’t know. The banner was bold, bright, and honestly a little tacky. It proudly declared: 

_‘AZURA BOOK CLUB’_

Though, with how weakly the K was hanging in there by the strings of thread, Amity wouldn’t be surprised if it would soon read _‘AZURA BOO CLUB’_

“I want you to have it.” The softness of Luz’s voice snapped Amity back to reality. 

“W-What?” 

Luz looked rather shy, fiddling with her fingers as her eyes lingered on the banner, before trailing up to meet Amity’s. “I-If you want it, that is. I thought maybe... we could hang it up in here? But I understand if you don’t want to, you’ve got your whole cool aesthetic going on-” 

“Yes!” Amity blurted out. “I-I mean, I would treasure... I do want it. Yes. Thank you, Luz.” 

Luz’s eyes lit up with joy. “You like it? Even though it’s kind of a chaotic mess?” 

“Well, you’re a chaotic mess, and I like you, so I wouldn’t act so surprised.” Amity played off the statement as a light tease, nudging Luz’s arm, who laughed in response, shoving back. 

It took the two of them working together to tie up the banner, which perfectly draped across Amity’s backmost wall. Luz had already made her mark here, and just the sheer existence of the banner changed the entire feeling of the room. It wasn’t Amity’s secret hideout anymore, where she buried herself in the fantasies of other people's stories to escape her crippling loneliness. 

It was _their_ hideout. One Amity would give as willingly as her own heart to Luz; she wanted to share this space, to share her life with her- 

Okay, she thought, maybe she was getting ahead of herself. 

With the banner securely in place, Luz triumphantly called the first ever Azura Book Club meeting to order. She seemed well prepared on how she wanted things to go, presenting a little schedule out of her bag. 

“Here... I uh, made this last night after I finished the banner.” She shook her hand, the paper clearly tacky from glue, and little particles of glitter flittered to the floor. Amity took it daintily by its corners. “I just wanted to make sure it was okay with you first, it’s just a template, but I thought we could maybe start with...” 

Amity zoned out the second Luz sat on the floor and leaned against her arm, pointing out each section of the little sheet. It was a comfortable weight, not like the oppressive feeling she got when her older siblings bothered and squashed her back home. She was so close too, that Amity could see the flecks of freckles on Luz’s nose. She could count the colours in Luz’s eyes. She could- 

“-Amity? Amity are you listening?” 

“W-What?” Amity stiffened, suddenly aware that Luz’s eyes were on her. The girl’s face went quizzical. 

“I asked if it would be better to just wing it rather than follow this to a T… Amity, are you okay? You look a little red. Is it too warm in here?” Luz placed the back of her hand against Amity’s forehead, which only served more to fluster her. “You feel a bit warm...” 

“I’m okay!” Amity jolted back with a nervous laugh. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. The schedule is fine too, we can do whatever you want.” 

“Are you sure?” Luz’s voice went gentle. “I want you to have a say in everything. It’s your club too.” 

“I trust your judgement,” Amity smiled. “From one club president to another.” 

It was clearly the right thing to say, as Luz’s face lit up like a light spell in that moment. “Well then... in that case, I’ll trust in your judgement of my judgement.” 

There was a moment of silence, a lingering look, and then Luz looked away, a hint of crimson colouring her cheeks. It was enough to make Amity wonder why Luz was suddenly so bashful. Could she possibly feel it too? The tension in the air? 

“So, um...” Luz rubbed the neck of her neck. “Do you wanna see my trading cards? I have a rainbow holographic Hecate, it’s ultra-rare and really cool...” 

*** 

Luz had a knack for making every day spent around her so fun and special. Hours passed so quickly, laughing, discussing theories, going over Luz’s favourite Azura merchandise that she had brought to the isles, (Amity would have to bring her handmade Azura plushie next week, she had decided. Luz would love that) and Amity couldn’t help but feel a painful pang of disappointment that each moment brought them closer to the end of the day. 

Amity wasn’t sure how much time had passed when there was a gentle lull in their conversation, a comfortable quiet as Amity neatly organised Luz’s trading cards back into their binder. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Luz sitting cross-legged, uncharacteristically still. She was staring at an empty mug on Amity’s desk. 

“Is everything alright?” 

“Hm?” Luz only half acknowledged the question at first, before she turned back to look at her. “Yeah, sorry, I was just wondering if we were allowed drinks in this library. The one back home was always really strict about no eating or drinking, except in the café area.” 

“Well... you’re not really _supposed_ to,” Amity drawled. “But I’m on good terms with the staff here and I mean... this _is_ my little area, and no one else knows about it, so... different rules?” 

A sly grin painted across Luz’s face. “Oh _Amity_ , I didn’t know you had a _rebellious_ side.” She teased. 

“Shut up,” Amity laughed, shoving Luz away as she encroached back into Amity’s space. “Don’t get the wrong impression, Luz. I am a Blight; we are a proud house, one that upholds order and harmony on these islands. We do not stoop to such _ignoble levels!_ ” She leaned in and booped Luz gently on the nose with her finger. The human giggled softly, wriggling closer once more. This time, Amity let her. 

“So, did you want something to drink?” Amity asked. “They have tea, or hot chocolate in the-” 

“Hot chocolate?” Luz bolted upright excitedly; her nose suddenly almost pressed to Amity’s own. Her eyes sparkled joyfully. “I didn’t know you had hot chocolate on the Boiling Isles! I haven’t had it in so long, my mom used to make it for us when we had movie nights back home; we had this really fancy caramel flavour-” 

Amity leaned backwards slowly, trying to hide her alarm with a smile. Her hand lightly found Luz’s shoulder, gently pushing the girl back. “Alright, alright. They don’t have anything that luxurious, unfortunately, so try not to set your standards too high... but why don’t I go make us some?” 

“Amity, you’re the best.” 

Amity’s heart fluttered as she pulled herself up and she smiled over her shoulder. “I have some snacks in my draw if you get hungry. I’ll be back in just a minute.” 

It was a surprise when Amity left their hideout to a near empty library. In fact, it was eerily quiet, but for a gentle tapping against the library’s roof. Boiling rain...? Perhaps that had been why patrons of the library had been so quick to go about their business and leave again. Oh well, Amity thought. It would probably pass by the time they were ready to go home. 

The round trip was quick, one she had made a hundred times before, though it was arguably trickier to open the passageway with two mugs in one hand. Luz was still inside, sprawled over one of Amity’s beanbags now, and she stared at Amity, upside-down, with an unusual level of seriousness. 

“Luz? Is everything okay?” 

Luz’s lips curved into a little smile. And then she gave Amity a beaming grin. Quite _literally_ beaming. Her teeth glowed softly with the warmth of twinkling fireflies. The sight of it caused Amity to guffaw from shock, almost spilling the drinks. 

“ _Luz!_ ” 

Luz burst into uproarious laughter, slipping down and rolling off the beanbag. She lay there on the floor cackling, all the while trying and failing to get sentences out. 

“Your fa- _hah_! Your face! Haha!” She finally managed as Amity stepped over her to place the mugs down on her desk before anything bad could happen to them. 

“Alright, alright...” Amity smiled, turning to kneel beside her friend. “Shh.... calm down.” 

Luz was still a giggling wreck, even as she stumbled clumsily up into a sitting position. She only started to calm herself when Amity’s hands found her shoulders. 

“Alright Luz, what did you do?” 

“I wanted to see what would happen if I ate a light glyph.” 

Amity could only stare at her in surprise. “And it didn’t occur to you that doing so could be dangerous?” 

“It’s fine, it’s fine! The light just kinda dissolved in my mouth. I wouldn’t recommend it though; it made the inside of my nose burn and now all I can taste is burnt paper.” 

Amity huffed softly. “You should be more careful, you know. One of these days you could do something and really hurt yourself.” 

“Aww, you care about me.” Luz teased with a crafty grin and a crooked eyebrow. 

“You say that like it’s some sort of big revelation.” Amity tried to keep the laugh out of her voice. “Of course I care about you.” 

“Of course you care about me.” Luz echoed softly, as though she wanted the weight of those words to sink in. 

The glow of Luz’s teeth didn’t last long, perhaps twenty minutes at most. For most of the rest of their club meet, Luz and Amity read together; Luz plonking quite happily onto the same beanbag as Amity much to the witchling’s surprise. It wasn’t as though the beanbag opposite was taken, so why would she choose to get so up in her space? 

Of course, Amity didn’t really mind. Quite the opposite, Luz’s warmth was comforting, once her heart calmed its frantic frolicking around in her chest. It would have been nice, she thought, to sit here with Luz for several more hours... but... 

“Oh, is that the time?” Luz finally muttered, just as Amity was thinking of resting her head on her shoulder. She was staring down at her strange human box, (a cell phone she had called it, Amity recalled) with a small frown furrowing her face. “I guess we should think about getting back, it’s pretty late.” 

A part of Amity’s mind whined in protest: 

_‘_ _Noooo_ _, ten more minutes....’_

But she knew Luz was right. Surely her mentor and the little demon King would be worrying about her. She wished she could relate somehow. 

Luz was more than happy to help tidy things up, despite Amity’s gentle insistence that it wasn’t necessary, and then the pair left the hideout into the completely abandoned library. Rain beat hard against the building’s roof as though it were some sort of giant drum, and Amity’s stomach turned under a conclusion Luz had yet to reach. 

It wasn’t until they stopped at the library’s grand door, staring out into the carnage that Amity saw the gears in Luz’s brain turning. She opened her mouth to speak when a brilliant, jagged, crimson streak cracked the evening sky above them, followed by a thunderous boom. It startled Luz to a jump, her hands grabbing for Amity’s arm. Amity smiled gently, patting Luz’s hand reassuringly. But this was a problem. Boiling rain was bad enough on its own without the added hassle of magic lightning electrifying the air. Amity could already feel the hair on the back of her neck tingling. 

“It’s storming...” Amity muttered, concern furrowing her brow. “It would be too dangerous to leave- I don’t know any shield spells. Unless you do?” 

“I’ve got nothing.” Luz shrugged sympathetically. “Do you have anyone who can come pick you up?” 

Amity hesitated. Her parents _were_ home but just the idea of them coming anywhere near Luz sent a horrible twist through her gut. No, that was definitely _not_ an option. 

“What about you?” She deflected Luz’s question with one of her own. “I can’t just leave you here alone.” 

“Maybe we can get Eda to come get us...” Luz pulled her scroll from her pocket, a gift from the Owl Lady, Amity recalled, and scrolled through the contacts to get to Eda. But when she tried to call her, an error popped up. 

_‘NO SERVICE’_

Luz’s nose wrinkled and she tried again to no avail. “There’s... no signal.” 

Another red bolt cracked overhead, lighting up the sky. Clearly the storm was to blame. There was magical interference all around. Any call for assistance right now would be futile. 

Amity huffed slowly, crossing her arms. “Then I guess we’ll just have to settle down here for the night.” 

Out of the corner of her eye she watched Luz’s posture change. She stood taller, and when she met her eye there was a strange mix of emotions on the human’s face. Surprise, but also, overwhelming glee. 

“Like a sleepover?” 

“U-Uh-” 

Luz grabbed Amity’s hands. “Oh, this is perfect! I’ve always wanted to have a sleepover! I mean, I kind of had one with Willow and Gus that one time, with the Moonlight Conjuring, but uh...” She stared off into the distance blankly. “That didn’t entirely go to plan...” 

Amity was too dumbfounded to respond, her tongue tied in knots. Luz continued. 

“Wait, wont your parents be worried about where you are?” 

Amity prickled. “No,” Her voice came out a little stiffer than she would have liked. She tried to soften her tone. “I mean, it’s fine. I’ve slept here before. Several times. It’s actually... quite nice to get away from home sometimes.” 

Pity briefly filled the human’s eyes as they turned and crept back through the vast empty halls of the library. The sound of thunder rumbled quietly off in the distance, and every so often a flicker of scarlet light illuminated their surroundings. It would have been ominous, frightening perhaps, if Amity had been alone. 

Thankfully she wasn’t. Luz filled the silence with her cheerful chatter, and several times Amity’s heart caught in her throat as Luz’s hand brushed against her own. She wanted to grab it, if only to settle the butterflies in her chest and gain some sense of closure to this _‘will she, won’t she’_ situation. But by the time she had plucked up the courage, they had made it back and Luz’s hand was gone from her side as she reached up to pull the book lever. 

The room muffled the sounds of the storm even further when they entered. In fact, the far-off sounds of the rain were rather soothing now compared to the relentless drumming from earlier, and the glow of Amity’s little stars hanging from the ceiling were a far more comforting light than the angry flashes of red from the lightning. 

Luz wasted no time in getting comfortable. She jogged inside excitedly and jumped into one of the giant cushions with a grin. “So, what do you wanna do first? We could tell scary stories or have a pillow fight or... Hey, what’s that?” 

Luz pointed; it appeared that from where the girl sat, she had noticed a small secret shelf hidden away by the books Amity had collected over the years. Upon it sat a small hand carved wooden box, with a couple of dark vials neatly lined up next to it. Luz scrambled to her feet and picked up one of the vials curiously. 

“Oh, that’s just a box of nail polish,” She explained. “I have to keep my better ones here, otherwise Emira ends up _‘borrowing’_ them.” 

“Oh.” 

Amity went to place the small bottle back on the shelf, but she hesitated. “Do...” She started. “Do you maybe want...?” 

Luz caught her meaning and sat upright excitedly. “Can we?” 

Amity smiled. She opened the latch on the box carefully. “Pick a colour.” 

*** 

Amity had expected it to be trickier than it actually was. Luz was usually so bouncy and full of energy, that Amity was worried that she would paint streaks across Luz’s fingers as she moved around. But Luz showed surprising restraint, watching in wonderous awe as Amity painted the purple varnish onto her nails. 

It was cute, really. She looked so excited, so happy, like it was the first time anyone had ever painted her nails, (did humans paint their nails in the Human Realm? Amity wasn’t sure.) and Amity delighted in the joyful atmosphere she created. 

Her hands were so soft too. So warm. Each time Amity shifted to move the girl’s hand, she trailed her fingers gently, longingly against Luz’s palm, her thumb desperate to brush tenderly against her skin. She daren’t though... however much she wanted to. 

“You’re cute when you concentrate.” 

“W-What?” Amity’s hand jarred and wobbled, almost threatening to ruin her handiwork. She glanced up to meet Luz’s eye. 

“You get this little sparkle in your eye. And you seem so peaceful. It’s nice.” 

Amity felt her ears beginning to burn. “Oh.... thank you.” She couldn’t deny the shy smile painting across her own face like a stroke of the varnish brush. “I think you’re very cute too.” She whispered under her breath. 

She wondered if she heard her. Amity felt Luz shift, shuffling closer than before to sit beside her. Then her head rested snugly and confidently against Amity’s shoulder, her cheek squished into it. Her eyes still followed the movements of the brush, not that Amity could exactly see her face anymore. She could have passed out right there and then when she forgot to breathe for precious seconds. 

Steadying her breath, she tried to relax the muscles in her arm, and continued to paint. She wasn’t sure when her head lolled gently against Luz’s. All she was sure of was that it was incredibly comfortable once the bubbles of nerves had settled. Oh Titan... when had this happened? Once she had been so content with the walls she had built, keeping others far from her tender heart. But now... She craved every little lingering touch, every hug, every gentle moment that Luz was around. 

She yearned for that warmth, for the physical reassurance that Luz was there. 

“I think that nail is done, Amity.” 

“Huh?” She flushed when she realised that she had been painting the same nail over and over for... well, however long it had been that her mind had begun to wander. “Oh, sorry.” 

Luz just giggled. “It’s alright. You okay...? You’re kind of quiet.” 

“Yeah... I’m just enjoying the company.” 

Luz bounced on the spot when Amity finished her nails, admiring her handiwork, but the moment of excitement was cut short when a low growl emitted from the suddenly rather bashful looking human. 

“Oh... I suppose it must be past dinner time for you.” 

“Uh, yeah,” Luz laughed, rubbing the back of her head in a way that made Amity’s heart flip, for once not out of yearning, but instead in panic that Luz would smudge the paint. “Sorry, I guess candy bars and light glyphs can only fill me up so much.” 

Amity couldn’t help but feel herself melt a little inside. “Alright...” Amity pulled herself up, her legs protesting at the motion as they had been stationary for too long. “I’m sure we can find some actual food in the staffroom. Why don’t we go together? Oh, bring the mugs too.” 

For some reason that Amity couldn’t discern, Luz seemed insistent on holding Amity’s hand on the way. She did it so confidently too; just swung her hand up and clasped Amity’s with a grin as they went on their way. It was kind of a relief, given how she would have struggled to pluck up the courage to take Luz’s own. She just hoped her hand wouldn’t get too clammy. 

The staffroom was small, only big enough for two, old, mismatched tables and a tiny, claustrophobic kitchen area. Above them hung a bare lightbulb with a sleeping fairy inside, her body emitting a meagre glow. 

The pair raided the cupboards for anything that looked edible and not covered in mould, and between them scraped up a dish of cheesy pasta and some sort of generic brand, monster tentacle and noodle soup. 

...It looked like microwave meals were on the menu tonight. 

The thrum of the machine rumbled through the dozy air almost soothingly, and Amity could feel her eyelids beginning to grow heavy. She didn’t even notice as Luz inched closer, until the human had bumped her head against her shoulder. 

“Tired?” 

“No.” Luz mumbled groggily. 

Amity smiled, and, with a little hesitation, wrapped her arm around Luz, giving her a gentle squeeze. Luz’s head shifted, and Amity could feel her eyes trained on her face, but Amity couldn’t peel her own gaze away from the microwave, too nervous to make eye contact. 

If she had looked, maybe she would have caught Luz’s expression. Perhaps she would have been better prepared. Because what Luz said next caught Amity off-guard. 

“Amity... you are having fun, right?” 

There was something in Luz’s tone that sent a horrible cold feeling sinking like a stone in Amity’s stomach. “Huh? Yeah, I- Why would you ask that?” She asked, finally looking Luz in the eye. Luz looked so concerned, like this had been eating her up inside for some time. And Amity caught something else; the way Luz’s brow furrowed, it mirrored her face from yesterday, when her cheerful demeanour had dropped. 

“Luz, what’s wrong?” Amity asked as gently as she could, pulling Luz a little closer instinctively as she turned to face her. Her other hand didn’t know where it wanted to go, or well, perhaps it did, perhaps it wanted to gently caress her cheek, but Amity was too timid to do so. So, it hovered, just over Luz’s arm nervously, until it finally settled on her shoulder. 

“I don’t know, maybe I’m just being stupid,” Luz chuckled awkwardly, and Amity felt Luz’s own arms hang loosely around her. “I just get kind of worried that I annoy people sometimes. I think, maybe... from my old school...” She trailed off. 

“Oh Luz...” 

“I’ve kind of-” She paused, stopping to think on how she wanted to phrase it, and Amity waited patiently for Luz to find her words. When she spoke again, it was quiet, as though she didn’t want anyone else to hear, even if they were the only two people in the building. “I’ve wanted to hang out with you for a while. I see Gus and Willow outside of school, so it only seemed fair that we get to spend time together too, right? But...” Luz looked away uncomfortable and was silent again for a few seconds. 

“But...?” Amity prodded softly. 

“Sometimes you seem a little uncomfortable around me, and I don’t want to make you feel awkward.” 

If it were not for the microwave humming beside them, the room would have fell silent. Amity’s hand moved on its own, cupping Luz’s cheek in a move that surprised them both. 

“I don’t find you annoying,” Amity whispered. “In fact, Luz, I think you are the _least_ annoying person I know.” She took a breath and steeled herself. If Luz was brave enough to be so vulnerable, then she could be too. 

“Luz, you’re quite honestly my favourite person in my life, and I am so thankful for every minute we spend together. Because you make me so happy. I’m just not used to...” Amity furrowed her brow in thought. “I’m not really used to being close with anyone. At least, not since Willow. I am so, _so_ sorry I ever made you worry like that, I promise, I love being with y- hanging out- with you-” She stammered. 

_‘Brilliant save. Show stopping. Why not just tell her you’re in love with her right now?’_ Her brain remarked dryly. 

Luz’s eyes shimmered in the dim, now flickering light of the room as the fairy rolled over in her sleep. Then her hand rose, and she cupped Amity’s hand to her cheek, resting her weight against it. She was smiling, her cheeks rosy, her eyes gazing softly into Amity’s own. 

“I’m your favourite person? Really?” 

Amity felt her face beginning to burn. “Uh... yeah. I-Is that okay?” 

Luz pulled Amity closer, her arms curling around her tightly. The human buried her face in Amity’s shoulder, her voice coming out muffled. “It is. I feel so honoured.” 

Amity let the tension in her muscles relax and she sighed, resting her hand against the back of Luz’s head, and her chin on her shoulder. She hoped Luz couldn’t feel her heart pounding. 

They stayed like that for longer than Amity expected. Long enough for Amity to wonder if perhaps it was a little bit strange to be having this moment in a tiny, dingy, library staffroom. 

_Ping!_

The microwave clattered to a standstill. 

“Oh look,” Amity’s voice cracked as she slowly peeled away from Luz. “Our food is done!” 

Amity left what she hoped were enough snails to cover the cost of the meals on the side. Luz, meanwhile, left a little note and a doodle of herself and Amity, reading: _‘Sorry if we took your lunch! <3’ _

Well, now the staff would know who to come and pester if they wanted to, Amity thought. Oh well. It was a very Luz thing to do, and one of the many things that endeared her to the human. 

Their meal wasn’t exactly the romantic candle lit dinner date Amity had dreamed of. They sat at an old table, its legs uneven and wobbly, right in the corner of the staffroom, and while Amity picked at the cheap, plasticky, pasta quietly, Luz demolished her noodles ravenously. 

It was a stark contrast to what she was used to at home. No lavish meal prepared by the manor servants. No ticking of their great grandfather clock through uncomfortable silences, or her parents’ snippy remarks about work. No Edric and Emira flicking peas at each other when they thought no-one was watching. Just the hum of the dusty, old fairy-lightbulb, and Luz, laughing, as she used the chopsticks to pretend that she had walrus teeth, whatever a walrus was. 

Yes... somehow, this felt better. 

They weren’t there long. After discarding the packaging in an overflowing bin, Luz seemed antsy to get back to the comfort of Amity’s room, and Amity couldn’t really blame her. It was so stuffy and dark in here, and the now awake fairy was starting to blow raspberries at them from her glass prison. 

This time, it was Amity who took Luz’s hand as they walked back through the halls, their feet clacking against the tiled floors, and the rumbling of the storm overhead. 

*** 

It must have been late now, yet Luz showed no signs of slowing down or wanting to settle for the night. She had been talking Amity’s ear off for the past twenty minutes about a teacher at her old human school and how she once accidentally set loose a family of possums in her gym class. 

Perhaps it would have been more entertaining if it hadn’t been getting harder to focus between sips of her second round of hot chocolate. Amity was tired; she was just about ready to turn in for the night. 

“-and then _I_ said- wait, hey, are you listening to me?” Luz asked from one of Amity’s beanbags, sprawled so that she was chatting to Amity upside-down. When she had noticed Amity’s vacant expression she rolled back over. 

Amity’s glazed eyes came back into focus and she gave a small nod. “Uh, yeah. Sorry Luz.” 

“You look tired.” 

“No, no. It’s fine.” Amity lied, rubbing at her eyes, and waving Luz’s comment away. “Please, continue your story.” 

But Luz only frowned for a moment, clearly in some sort of contemplation. “So...” She drawled out, and Amity watched as an idea sprang to the young human’s mind. “Is this the part of the sleepover where we talk about cute boys?” 

Amity’s eye twitched. Clearly Luz was trying to find a more... _interesting_ topic for Amity to engage with but it had struck a nerve. “Oh, I’m uh...” She began delicately. “I’m not really into boys.” 

An excited grin now painted Luz’s face, her legs kicking slowly and casually back and forth. “Oh, cute girls instead then?” 

Amity smiled, a little more at ease now, but the question still churned her stomach slightly. As she took another sip of her drink, Luz continued with another question that hit like a concrete block. 

“Hey, so do you have a crush on anyone?” 

Amity choked, the hot chocolate burning her throat painfully as she tried to force it out of her lungs. 

“Amity!” Luz scrambled up in a panic, and Amity felt the human thump her several times hard on the back in what she could only assume was an attempt at helping. Whether it was or not though was debatable. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry!” 

“It’s fine-” Amity’s voice came out hoarse and strained. “You just caught me off guard, that’s all...” 

When the moment had passed and Amity felt the sweet relief of air filling her lungs rather than droplets of her beverage, she gave Luz her reply. “M-Maybe, but I’d... I’d rather not talk about it. I’m sorry.” 

Luz sat quietly; her face at first too difficult for Amity to read. For a few seconds, she left Amity stewing in worried silence, before she smiled. “Oh, that’s alright. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” 

The knots in Amity’s stomach loosened, but not all the way. For Luz’s question had stirred too many thoughts around in her mind, a storm of uncertainties brewing in her head. Why had Luz asked such a thing? Why would she be curious about Amity’s love life? Unless she... 

_Could_ she...? 

No, that was preposterous. To think that Luz could ever... 

“Amity, are you okay?” Amity was snapped out of her thoughts by Luz’s voice. She looked so concerned now, eyes flitting across Amity’s face as she judged her expression. “You look kind of sad.” 

“Oh, I-I do?” Amity couldn’t keep the wobble out of her voice. “I just... I don’t think my crush likes me back. That’s all.” 

Luz’s face fell, and Amity immediately felt a pang of guilt burden her heart at the sadness in the girl’s eyes. Luz pulled herself slowly up onto her knees, then shuffled closer, taking Amity’s hands so gently, so tenderly that she felt her heart give a tremor and her breath hitch in her throat. 

“Amity, who couldn’t like you back? You’re wonderful.” 

Amity couldn’t tear her gaze away from Luz’s face, eyes locked with the human’s own in disbelief. She could feel her whole face going red, her brain dizzy, and it took a few seconds for her to realise she had stopped breathing. 

“A-Amity are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” Amity mentally chided herself for the crack in her voice. “...Thank you, Luz.” 

Perhaps Luz sensed a beat of awkwardness between them, as she glanced away nervously, a pink colouring her own cheeks. 

“H-Hey, um... do you want to try something?” She asked softly. 

Amity paled, eyes going wide. _‘Oh Titan, is she going to kiss me?’_ Was the rather sudden conclusion her brain leapt to in alarm. _‘I don’t think I’m ready- oh no- she's so close- oh no-’_

Luz pulled one hand away from Amity’s own, and she watched curiously as Luz dug into the pocket of her shorts, revealing her little notepad. 

Oh... Amity followed where Luz was going now. She watched Luz draw out the rune slowly, eyes flicking up to Amity’s face periodically. 

“Are you watching...?” 

“I’m watching.” 

Luz smiled, tearing the page out to show Amity. This felt familiar somehow... it was just like back in the covention; and yet so much had changed since then. Luz tapped the paper and it crinkled up, morphing into a ball of light. Curious, Amity thought. She had seen this before, why was Luz showing her again? 

And then Luz handed Amity the pencil. “Now you try.” She grinned cheerfully. 

“What? Me?” 

Luz nodded, eyes sparkling as they reflected the warm light of the little spell she had just cast. 

Amity drew the rune as Luz had done on the notepad, and then Luz tore the page out and pressed the glyph gently into Amity’s waiting palms and cupped her hands around each of her own. 

“Now tap it.” 

Amity’s brain was too jarred at first to process her words, leading to a small beat of silence, before she tapped her thumb lightly against the paper. The drawing glowed, and Amity watched as it crinkled up in her hands, crackling into a delicate, beautiful light. 

She had seen Luz cast this spell before. And yet, it was... strange to cast it like this herself. For Amity, magic had always felt different. When she cast a spell, it was like a heat in her chest that travelled through her arm, a fire in her veins, and then a thrum of energy buzzing at her fingertip. But this, this was a different kind of warmth. 

The two little light orbs radiated with soothing energy as they hovered between the pair, flickering and humming, almost seeming alive. Amity’s eyes followed them as they rose, and she felt Luz staring at her intensely even before her eyes lowered back to the girl. 

“Cool right?” Luz was smiling eagerly. 

“Yeah... cool.” 

Luz seemed satisfied with Amity’s response, her hands pulling away from Amity’s own. She missed their warmth immediately. 

“Hey um... I know we’re kind of stuck here, with the storm and all... But I’ve had a lot of fun today.” 

“I have too, Luz. Really.” 

Luz smiled warmly. Then she stood and sauntered slowly back over to the beanbag. For a moment, the gears in Amity’s turned and she reached the conclusion that Luz was about to finally settle down on the comfy cushion to try and get some sleep. But instead, she picked up her copy of The Good Witch Azura volume five, and skimmed through the pages quickly, as though searching for a specific scene. Her eyes lit up when she found it. 

“Here!” She grinned up at Amity, then her face grew more timid. “Hey um... do you want to read together? Just for a little bit? Before we sleep?” 

“Oh, uh... we can do.” Amity crawled slowly over, until Luz was within arm's reach, and the human took her hand and pulled her gently up to sit next to her. The weight of the two girls on the beanbag forced them closer together, and Luz sprung her arms around Amity as the witchling sunk towards her. 

Luz beamed, cuddling right up to her, wriggling under Amity’s arm, and Amity, at first a little stunned, gingerly placed her hand on Luz’s side. Luz’s head rested against her shoulder, the human’s eyes down at the book sitting open on Amity’s lap now. 

“A-Are you comfortable?” Amity half-laughed in an attempt to diffuse the tension. 

“Yes,” Luz replied, seemingly oblivious. “Very.” 

Amity rolled her eyes fondly. 

“Can you read it out loud?” 

“You want me to read to you?” Luz nodded, and Amity felt oddly humbled at her request. “Oh, well... alright then.” She cleared her throat and began to read, oddly reminded of her times reading Otabin aloud to the library children. 

_Through the cold, harsh winds Azura and Hecate endured onwards. The storm was as fierce and icy as the weather at Abelon’s Peak, but twice as treacherous to deal with, for the cliffs were slippery, and one false step could lead to a perilous drop. But they could not slow, for every second they delayed, did their foe, Malice, stray further from their reach._

_Azura quickened her pace. But the mountain’s blizzard was worsening with every step, blinding her sight of their path, and the wind chilled her to her very bones. She could only hope that they would be past the worst of this soon._

_And then she slipped. A gasp escaped her lips, the witch’s hands reaching out in desperation for something to grab, to stop her fatal descension. But as Azura fell, a hand clasped around her wrist, pulling her back up onto the ledge. Hecate’s._

“Any particular reason you wanted me to read this part?” 

“I just like this bit. I just think it’s sweet. Now keep reading.” Luz urged excitedly. Amity chuckled, leaning back into the beanbag with Luz, bringing her knees up so she could more comfortably read the book. Luz took advantage of the opportunity to take Amity’s free hand in her own, twiddling Amity’s fingers with a soft curiosity. 

Amity continued. 

_Though Azura could not see her companion’s face through the snow, she could still hear her over the mountain’s wails. “Watch your step, Azura. Least you find yourself an early demise.”_

_“My apologies,” Azura replied. “And... thank you, Hecate.”_

_Though Hecate fell silent, her hand did not stray from Azura’s wrist as she led the way now through the bleak, blankets of snow. And then, after hours of trudging, the world fell quiet, all but for the soft crunching of snow underfoot._

_They had scaled safely halfway down the mountain now, and to Azura’s delight she could see the flowering fields and emerald forests stretching out below them. It was nice to see the colours of the world again, a world she had missed dearly in their time spent traversing the Spikepeaks. Soon, they would leave ice and snow behind them, and return to the warm lands of Hazul._

_The ground below their feet had finally turned to grass and dirt by the time the pair had set up camp. Hecate tended to the fire, while Azura set about pitching their one remaining tent, its fabric still charred and torn by dragon’s fire._

“Luz...?” 

“Hm?” 

“I need my hand to turn the page.” Amity chuckled. 

“Oh. Right.” Luz let her fingers slip delicately from Amity’s own to allow the girl to flip the page. But when she did, Amity became so strangely self-aware of her hand. The spaces between her fingers felt so vast, so empty now, so much emptier than they had ever felt before. 

Her eyes darted anxiously to Luz’s hand, resting gently on the human’s tummy now. 

Dare she make the first move? 

Timidly, Amity’s wavering hand approached Luz’s, and she watched the girl’s fingers twitch. Amity froze, unsure, but relief sunk in when Luz’s hand rose to meet hers, and she intertwined their fingers once more. 

She snuck a glance at Luz, who now wore a sleepy little smile on her face, eyelids heavy, gazing at their interwoven hands. Luz brushed her thumb against the back of Amity’s own until she reached its very tip, then twiddled with hers gently and playfully. The witchling’s heart gave a fond flutter in response. 

Amity tried once more to focus on the words on the page, but her heart and mind were a dizzy, lovestruck blur. She cleared her throat before continuing. 

_Night fell swiftly, the last traces of sunlight gently kissing the mountaintops before fading completely. But blissful sleep found neither Azura nor Hecate. Azura’s mind whirled with the events of the past few days, of how much things had changed so quickly, and she dared a glimpse at her unlikely companion._

_Hecate was quiet, her eyes watching the fire with an intensity Azura knew too well from the years she had known her. But there was something else in Hecate’s eyes that Azura hadn’t seen since their battle with Malice at_ _Alfgor’s_ _Reach._

_Fear._

_“It’ll be okay, you know,” Azura began gently. “We’ll get the Crystal Keystone before Malice.”_

_“It’s not the keystone I'm worried about, Azura.” Hecate’s voice was uncharacteristically soft as she spoke, her eyes drifting up to meet Azura’s. In that moment, Azura felt a strange tension, like a heavy fog form between them._

_They had barely escaped Malice’s clutches. Was Hecate still worried about him? Or... was she worried about her?_

_The logs of the fire crackled, and Hecate’s eyes snapped back down to watch, her faces grim, her arms hugging her knees close to her chest. Azura paused to think, then slowly, crawled forward to sit beside her, closing the distance between them._

_“I promise I’ll be more careful.” Azura said, placing a hand on Hecate’s shoulder. For once, Hecate did not shrug away from the contact. “I won’t disappear on you.”_

_Hecate uncurled herself, and placed a hand over Azura’s, the tiniest curl of a smile on her right face, her other obscured. “You had better not, Azura. Who will I best in our duels if my greatest rival isn’t around?”_

_Azura smiled, her eyes shimmering in the firelight. A spark reignited in her heart in that moment, it was a promise that the pair of them would come out of this unscathed. Azura found her feet and stood tall, the end of her staff sparking against the rocky ground, eyes on the ancient rocky tower off in the distance. They would retrieve the Crystal Keystone together, and then... and then..._

_...And then..._

Amity tried to stifle a yawn, but it escaped her regardless. Nonetheless, Luz made no effort to press Amity to continue this time, and Amity peeked down at her. Luz’s eyes were closed, head lolled back ever so slightly as she rested against Amity’s shoulder. Amity could both hear and feel the human’s breath, so quiet and warm against her neck and chin. 

She was dozing; slowly slipping into a light slumber. 

“Luz...?” There was little more response than a mumble and a tilt of Luz’s head. Amity smiled, and let her fingers slip from Luz’s hand to find her face, brushing the hair out of the girl’s eyes. Luz smiled now, leaning into Amity’s touch. “You getting sleepy...?” 

“Mm...” 

“...Why don’t we call it a night then?” Amity closed the book carefully and reached up to place it aside on the desk, a task made much harder by the slumped weight of Luz in her arm. 

“I like your reading.” Luz mumbled softly. 

“Do you now?” 

“Yeah... your voice is pretty.” 

Amity’s lips twitched into a small smile, and she combed her fingers delicately through Luz’s fringe. “You think my voice is pretty...?” 

Luz’s eyes peeked open, warm, soft, and sleepy. Amity felt one of Luz’s hands gently slide up the back of her neck, her fingers brushing softly over her undercut. Her thumb smoothed over it back and forth soothingly, and she smiled. “...Super pretty.” 

Amity’s breath caught and her eyes shimmered in the light, unable to stray from Luz’s own for a few seconds. She paused then glanced away with a nervous giggle, trying to ease the sudden tension. “Are humans always this sappy when they get tired, or just you?” 

Luz chuckled quietly but she didn’t answer, she just closed her eyes again. Her breathing evened out within minutes. Out like a light, Amity thought, her own eyelids growing heavier. But she didn’t want to sleep, not just yet. She just wanted to savour this moment; the sound of the rain pattering on the roof, the gentle light of the room, the warmth and weight of Luz against her... 

“It’d be nice if all our book club meetings were like this.” She whispered. “I think I could get used to being like this with you.” 

There was no response from the sleeping Luz. The human only curled her fingers a little more into the fabric of Amity’s shirt instinctively. 

“I like this,” Amity continued, letting her fingers gently smooth down Luz’s hair. “I like... you. As... you know... more than a friend. In fact, I-I think I might even...” The words stuck in Amity’s throat, as though they were afraid to come out. She pursed her lips, brow knitting together into a small, pained frown. Why were some words so hard to say out loud? And yet, there Luz slept peacefully, blissfully unaware of Amity’s dilemma. 

It almost wasn’t fair. 

Amity sighed, leaning down to press her forehead to Luz’s own. She stayed there in silence, eyes closed, trying to organise the mess of thoughts and emotions in her head. It was no help. It felt like some creature was pacing back and forth irritably in her heart, caged, wanting desperately to break free, and she knew exactly what this _‘creature’_ was. It was a _love_ that she wanted to spill out and share with Luz; at least, maybe then, it would be less of a burden weighing on her, less of an ache- 

Luz stirred and Amity held her breath, eyes snapping open. Luz’s brow twitched and she mumbled something incomprehensible, so quiet Amity could barely hear. But she smiled, and oh, it was that little sleepy smile that filled Amity with so much warmth, so much strength, that it finally gave her the courage to speak what had been racing through her mind ever since Grom. 

Amity let her nose brush against Luz’s, her fingers delicately dancing across the human’s cheek. Luz’s eyelids fluttered and Amity wondered quietly what she could be dreaming about. She took a slow, deep breath. 

“Luz. I think I love you.” She whispered. Those words held a great power over her. All at once, it was as though some block had dissolved and all her heart’s yearnings wanted to tumble out. 

“It scares me how much I think I love you,” She continued. “Because it’s so new, and confusing, and I’m scared of messing things up Luz, I really am, because If I ever lost you as a friend I-I don’t know what I’d do.” She paused, breath shaking. “But I know you’d never hurt me, would you...? You’re too sweet for that. I’d trust you... I’d trust you with my heart above anyone else in the world.” 

She wasn’t expecting Luz to respond; the girl was asleep. And so, to say what happened next surprised Amity would have been the understatement of the year. 

The sleepy, loose grip of Luz’s arms tightened a little to pull Amity closer, she tilted her head ever so slightly, and then her lips made contact with Amity’s. It was the softest, gentlest little peck, and it was over so fast that Amity scarcely had a moment to process what had happened. But she did squeak as Luz pulled away again, flopping back to snuggle into Amity’s shoulder. 

Luz mumbled again, a little clearer. “Hmm... Eres tan maravillosa... Todo lo que haces... Te amo.” Then with a little sigh she buried her face in Amity’s shirt. 

Amity stayed frozen in shock at what had happened, bright red, lips still slightly parted. What? How? Why? Her arms were trembling. Did that _really_ just happen? She hadn’t just made that up in her head, had she? Often Amity had found herself daydreaming, wondering what it would be like to finally kiss Luz, but never had she thought it would be like this. 

Luz’s lips had been so soft and warm and comforting, and Amity grimaced as the yearning welled up inside her. Her lips tingled, it almost felt like Luz’s were still against hers; and her heart fluttered, but in a way that was far less scary than it had been before. It was a _nice_ feeling. 

She wanted to kiss her again. But she wasn’t about to just kiss Luz while she was sleeping; that would be so weird, and she wanted to know Luz could consent to something like that. So instead, she huffed and buried her face in Luz’s hair. Crushes were so complicated. Why couldn’t someone make an informative guidebook on navigating them? 

Amity pulled back just enough to glimpse Luz’s face again, so peaceful and at ease. It was hard to believe now that once the sight of the human made Amity’s blood simmer with irritation. Now it warmed Amity’s heart with fondness. 

The witchling lay back against the beanbag, wriggling carefully to get comfortable. Luz stirred only for a moment, instinctively shifting to work with Amity rather than against her. The pair settled, arms still holding each other close. 

“Comfy, Luz?” Amity whispered, not really expecting a reply. Luz sighed dreamily, smiling, her face half buried in Amity’s shoulder. “I’ll take that as a yes.” 

Amity lay awake a little while longer, if only to enjoy the moment for as long as she could, her chin resting atop Luz’s head. As she began to finally doze off, her mind contemplated one last thing. 

Perhaps Luz _was_ aware of personal space. Perhaps she simply wanted Amity to be a part of hers. And perhaps, Amity wanted that too. 

*** 

It was disorienting when Luz woke up. 

She couldn’t tell in Amity’s secret nook if it was night or day; though if the dim rays of light peeking through the bookcases, and gentle murmurs of people passing by them were to be believed, it was _probably_ morning. What time in the morning, however, was anyone’s guess. Luz wriggled, her joints stiff and seized up from where she had slept so curled up for so long, and for just a moment, she forgot what, or rather _who_ she was sleeping on. 

Amity grumbled softly as Luz shifted and stretched, but she did not wake, much to Luz’s relief. But now Luz felt stuck; she couldn’t really get up without disturbing her sleeping friend, and quite honestly it was... _nice,_ being cuddled up in Amity's arms like this. She didn’t want the moment to end yet. 

So instead, Luz let herself relax, listening to Amity’s slow, gentle, rhythmic breaths. From where her ear was pressed, she could hear Amity’s heart beating too. It was entirely unlike a human’s own heartbeat; there was an extra bump to the rhythm. 

_Badum-dum_ _._ _Badum-dum_ _._

Luz couldn’t help but wonder if it was because witches had an entirely different heart structure to humans. How strange, she thought. Oftentimes she forgot just how different witches were as a species. So different, and yet, so similar. 

Luz’s hand trailed slowly to her neck, where she felt her own pulse drum against her fingertips. Their hearts were very nearly in sync. 

“Soulmates.” She whispered gleefully. Okay, maybe not, but she could dream. 

Amity sighed gently in her sleep, and Luz dared herself to pull back just enough to glance her face. She looked so at peace. 

Luz reached up timidly, the knuckles of her fingers caressing Amity’s cheek as they went, and she tucked the loose strands of hair behind Amity’s ear. It twitched at Luz’s touch and the girl fought back a gasp of awe. 

She had seen it before on the briefest of occasions, usually the rare little ear prick of an island resident at a surprising sound, but this was different. It reminded her of the cats she saw on the streets back home, lazing about and twitching their ears at the slightest of sensations. 

Her fingertips traced so gently against it again curiously. Again, it flicked, and this time Amity grumbled, her nose wrinkling. Luz’s hand instinctively shot away, worried that she would finally wake up and snap at her for the disturbance. 

But she didn’t. In fact, Amity’s arms, once loosely flopped around Luz’s body, slowly tightened around the human, drawing her closer, one of Amity’s hands resting gently against Luz’s side and the other running up her back until she had enclosed Luz in a warm, tender hug. She sighed against Luz’s ear, lips almost pressed against Luz’s cheek, and Luz froze, heart in throat, her face flushing, a little startled by this all. 

“Amity...?” She whispered. “Are you awake...?” 

The lack of response was enough to answer her question, so instead, Luz wrapped her arms around Amity in return, tracing little stars and hearts between Amity’s shoulders. It was all enough to make Luz sleepy all over again. She would have happily not moved from that spot for the rest of the day given a chance. 

She had almost dozed off again when Amity finally stirred, stretching and yawning in her arms. A hand connected sleepily with the back of Luz’s head, petting down her hair gently, fingers playing softly with her locks. 

“Good morning.” Luz whispered. Clearly Amity wasn’t expecting her to be awake, as she froze, almost panicked, like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. 

“Oh, um. Hello. Hi.” Luz could feel the heat starting to radiate from Amity’s cheek, still squished against her own, and it took all her willpower not to let out a small laugh. Instead, she wriggled her face away so she could look at Amity properly. Still, with how tangled they were in each other's arms, their noses were practically brushing. 

“You okay?” 

“Yes, uh. Quite. Are... you?” 

“Quite.” Luz echoed back with a smile. “Though, uh, my arm is starting to go a little numb.” 

“Huh...? Oh!” Amity lifted herself up enough for Luz to recover her numb arm, which now felt strongly like tv static. “S-Sorry.” 

Luz wriggled her fingers to get the feeling back in them, before she placed it back on Amity’s shoulder. “Did you sleep okay?” Luz was almost surprised at the softness in her own voice. Clearly Amity was too, because she didn’t reply. Warm, golden eyes gazed tenderly into her own, and Luz couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. 

A laugh and voices on the other side of the bookcase tore them away from their moment. 

“What time is it...?” Amity whispered. 

“I’m not really sure. Probably time for us to get up though, if people are in the library.” 

Luz and Amity tried to pull themselves back up, but the shift of weight on the beanbag unbalanced them, causing both to collapse back down. After a beat of silence, both erupted into laughter. 

“Oops, sorry-” 

“Hold on, let me just-” 

But the more they wriggled and squirmed, the harder it seemed to escape, their cushiony seat. 

“Alright hold on, let me just...” Luz mumbled, and she wriggled and slid free of the beanbag, clumsily finding her feet with the stagger of a new-born deer. “Hah! There!” 

Yet Amity still lay with her arms outstretched, squished in the seat by the weight of the beanbag around her. Luz stifled a laugh at the little pout the witchling was giving her. “Alright, congratulations, now a little help, please?” 

Luz took Amity by her hands and pulled her up. Amity’s own legs wobbled under her weight for a moment, and Luz steadied her gently, one hand on Amity’s side, the other still holding her own. 

“Alright?” 

“Y-Yeah. I just got up too fast.” Amity chuckled softly. 

Luz took a couple of steps back when she was sure Amity was fine. The bustle of the library continued just beyond the walls of their hideaway. Luz felt a little pang of sadness in her heart, knowing deep down that they couldn’t stay here much longer. But there was a world outside waiting for them both, more adventures to chase. And who’s to say they couldn’t do some of those things together too? 

It was time to leave their cosy little retreat. 

*** 

The sun was still low in the sky when Amity and Luz found themselves on the steps of the library, the dew from last night’s rain glistening in its light. The street too was busy with patrons beginning repair work on their homes and shops, fixing any damages from the storm. 

As a result, no one paid the pair much mind. 

“Alright, well, I better get back before Eda starts to worry. Do you want me to walk you home...?” 

“Oh no, it’s fine,” Amity forced a smile. “It’s... probably uh... I just don’t really want my parents...” 

Luz caught Amity’s meaning. “Okay. That’s okay, don’t worry about it.” She replied quietly and watched Amity’s expression relax. 

A heavy silence still fell between them, neither quite knowing how to leave the interaction. Amity frowned, and Luz watched as the gears turned in her mind. But as Luz opened her mouth to ask if Amity was alright, the girl took her hand, and all at once leaned forward. A surprised gasp left Luz as Amity pecked her quickly on the cheek then whirled around before Luz had a chance to see her expression. 

“Okay! I’ll see you at school tomorrow!” Amity cried out, her voice cracking as she sped away. 

“Y-Yeah... see you...” Luz waved softly, brain still jarred, as Amity jogged down the steps of the library, not once looking back. Luz could see her ears, bright red, and wondered if her face was just as flushed. Her fingers brushed over her cheek, where Amity’s lips had just been moments ago, a fact that still hadn’t quite sunk in yet. 

Amity had kissed her. She’d kissed her! A giddy smile found Luz’s face. Wow. _Wow._

There was an undeniable spring in her step as she made her way home that morning, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. She wondered if Amity would agree to make these sleepover book club meetings a regular weekly occurrence. 

She hoped so. The chance to hold Amity in her arms again like that would give her something nice to look forward to. 

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read my oneshot! I worked really hard on it. It was mostly a sort of self indulgent soft little relief away from the stress going on in my life right now, so I actually genuinely have no idea if its any good haha. A fun little fact! I actually started writing this before Grom aired! And I edited it to be more relevant after the season finale. Funnily enough, I wrote the scene where Amity said she wasn't interested in guys before she was confirmed to be a lesbian too, so you can imagine how excited I was when my theory was right!  
> Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed this, and if you did, maybe you should go check out the other lumity fic I wrote, As the Jademoon Glows! And even if you have read it, maybe go give it another peek! I might actually have a sequel to Jademoon brewing...!  
> That's all for now. Please consider leaving a kudos and a comment, and I'll see you guys next time! 
> 
> <3 Dee


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